Awards Supplement The David Caulfield Outstanding
Contribution Award 2024 James Herriot
What does winning this award mean to you?
I am truly blown away and humbled you have chosen to recognise my efforts in relation to the kitchen industry over the last 40+ years. Not something I ever set out to do - or was expecting. It’s an honour to accept this prestigious award. But feel it’s important to make the point - others have played a major part in anything I may have managed to achieve: Without their input and efforts I’d never have realised a fraction of what you say I have.
How did your career begin in this industry?
Callerton’s story began more than 40 years ago: When a good friend of mine Gordon Stanger- Leathes (my business partner to this day) and I, set-up a small property development business in Newcastle. Friends and relatives saw kitchens in a variety of our developments and were inspired to engage us in updating their own. It didn’t take us long to realise kitchens were less convoluted, time consuming and capital intensive than the
development and selling of houses and flats. It didn’t take us long to realise kitchens were less convoluted, time consuming and capital intensive than the development and selling of houses and flats. Young and ambitious, or some would say
stupid and naive, we took the decision to manufacture our own brand of kitchen furniture in-house. This the birth of Callerton and the rest is history.
What would you say has been your key to success?
Once again I refer to my acceptance speech. Team & Teamwork and surrounding myself with much more capable people than my self has played a massive part in all that I’ve managed to achieve. To which I must add the many and wide ranging industry colleagues I have been lucky enough to meet and engage with over the years - and most importantly the opportunity to learn from such.
What has been one of your greatest achievements?
As someone whose academic career came to a premature end (many, many years ago) - my teachers would be truly astounded to find I’ve recently had a second book published. This being ‘Insights to Kitchen Design – 40+ Years as a Design-led Kitchen Specialist’. As an academic reject that can surely be classed as an achievement of sorts. Although I should explain I don’t expect to make my fortune, or be hitting the best seller list any time soon. My intention for the book was to provide an insight (40+ years of knowledge and experience) to those end consumers embarking on a design-led kitchen project and how one should go about this – with a further aim to hopefully provide an insight to those thinking of embarking on a career in our fascinating (and as I have found) fulfilling industry. But my greatest achievement by far - relates to
my wife, children and grandchildren, everything else pales into insignificance.
6 BKU AUGUST 2024 AWARDS SUPPLEMENT
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